Kōmei
Kōmei was a high ranking and influential figure in the Order of the Seijin, also known as the Sleeping Dragon (伏龍; Fuku Ryū). He has been noted for his great intellect and wisdom, having been consulted on numerous occasions regarding both internal and external issues. A respected member of the Seijin, many listen to his words when Kōmei has something to contribute to a discussion. His hunt for the elusive spirit Tenkuko was considered to be legendary, due to the past defeats that Soul Society suffered in attempting to apprehend the rogue zanpakutō spirit in comparison to his own plots and ploys. Biography Early years Although born to two shinigami, Kōmei's future was quite different in comparison to other shinigami. Because of his unnaturally high amounts of reiatsu, he was selected to partake in a training regimen to become a Seijin when he grew older. As a young boy, Kōmei was unaware of this, other than that his parents told him that he was "special:" different than the other children. Only when his parents considered him to be old enough to understand, at the age of 10, did Kōmei learn the truth that he was being trained to become part of the Seijin Order. Even so, Kōmei mentioned that he suspected something along those lines all along, hinting at his high level of intelligence in his early life. Training As an initiate in the Order, Kōmei was complimented by his tutors on his ability to grasp concepts and techniques much quicker than other initiates his age. He "graduated" much quicker than other initiates and was seen as a young prodigy. As he grew older, Kōmei furthered his skills by unlocking his zanpakutō's shikai at the age of 90. It was considered to be a young age for him to possess such an ability, keeping with his image of a child prodigy. Kōmei surprised his teachers when he turned away a robber from a house in the Rukongai without resorting to combat. Spirit-hunt When Kōmei became a master, he was tasked with hunting down and capturing the spirit Tenkuko, who has been a constant threat to the goals of Soul Society. Her free-spirited personality caused her to interfere and disrupt shinigami activity with her nullification powers. His first plan involved him luring Tenkuko into the open and trapping her with telekinetic barriers, though his lack of resources caused the plan to fail. Kōmei later said that he knew that there was a chance that the plan would not be successful, though he did learn more about his target through the encounter. Although he was unsuccessful in capturing Tenkuko, Kōmei's usage of numerous tactics such as an "empty castle" strategy, where he remained hidden within a seemingly empty building and used his powers to catch Tenkuko off-guard. It was said that Kōmei went as far as unleashing bankai to confront Tenkuko, though the Seijin Master went alone on that occasion, making it an uncertainty. Return of Datara Kōmei played a leading role in the defense of the Seijin Temple when it fell under attack by Datara Kawahiru and his men. He was among the last of the Seijin to remain standing, though he was eventually defeated due to the ferocity of Byakuren. Personality and traits Though he spoke with wit, Kōmei knew how to balance his personal amusement with the need to be serious in a discussion. Often times, he kept his mouth shut when a plan formulated in his mind, only asking for help when he could not provide it himself. His strategies sometimes appeared puzzling to others, though Kōmei constantly promised that all would be revealed in due time. In this, one might say that Kōmei did not trust others to keep their mouths shut. When others ask him about his plans, Kōmei merely turned them away with a smile on his face and without a word spoken. His plans tend to have some gain to be had, regardless of a victory or defeat. Through this, Kōmei was believed to always have a plan for when a situation went wrong. Rarely did Kōmei explain the nature of the abilities of others or himself, as he preferred to use his knowledge and this enemy's ignorance as a weapon. By withholding information, Kōmei had, on several occasions, caugt his enemies by surprise due what he deduced from observations. Kōmei believed in utilizing one's resources to their maximum potential, including turning an enemy's strength to his own advantage. He was said to hate throwing things away or leaving them behind if the said items could have some use in the future. Unlike many other Seijin, Kōmei did not gauge his strength in relativity to his companions; instead, he only took note of their own strengths and weaknesses and compared them to the situation at hand. He often took strong interest in powerful figures, only to measure their known strengths and devise weaknesses to exploit if he ever encountered them on the enemy's side. Powers and abilities Immerse Spiritual Pressure: As with all other Seijin, Kōmei had a considerable amount of reiatsu. Although it may not be as great as the likes of other powerhouses within the Seijins' ranks, Kōmei compensates for this with his intellect. Kidō Expert: Kōmei was frequently depicted using kidō spells in his attacks. However, he was not the most skilled in the art, focusing more on Seijō telekinesis. Keen Intellect: Considered one of the best that Soul Society has to offer, Kōmei possesses wisdom and intellect comparable to great scholars of Soul Society's history. Kōmei often spends time planning his course of action before entering a conflict zone, allowing him to always have a logical course of action in the case that the original plan falters or becomes impossible to complete due to the situation. His intelligence rivals that of fellow Seijin Sorata Nekoi. Master Strategist and Tactician: Kōmei's battle strategy for himself, as well as others, involve massive levels of planning. He rarely entered combat without reason, and constantly adjusted his tactics in accordance to a changing scenario. Master Seijō Telekinesis: Kōmei's ability to manipulate reiryoku is so profound that he could produce barriers out of stilled spiritual particles and even move them in accordance to a changing situation. A more drastic ability resulting from this power is to be able to freeze the forms of others by freezing the motion of spiritual particles around the person. Kōmei's technique in this skill was considered by many the sole reason why few have seen him wield his zanpakutō or even utilize the flash step in combat. With this ability, Kōmei has demonstrated that his barriers are capable of resisting high leveled kidō-like spells, as well as use it offensively to skewer his opponents when necessary. Telepathy: Alongside other Seijin, Kōmei has the ability to communicate with his companions without having to speak. Instinctive Senses: Kōmei's control over his reiatsu was great enough that he could predict how his opponent would move according to the slight changes in the flow of reiatsu. This often made his enemies question whether he could read minds, to which he often replied with "there is no such thing." Flash Step Expert: Kōmei's skill in the flash step is among the weakest of the Seijin Council, though it is enough to catch an unsuspecting enemy by surprise.The Return of Datara Saga Zanpakutō Xinxuan (信玄 (シンシュアン); shin shuan) was the name of Kōmei's zanpakutō. The name follows onyomi, or Chinese pronunciation, of its Japanese name. * Shikai: When activated, Kōmei's zanpakutō disappears entirely. Kōmei explained that his zanpakutō was only a physical embodiment of his power, which laid in his intuitive plans. :* Shikai special ability: Rather than present Kōmei with a power, it allowed him to instantly analyze an opponent, allowing him to discover weaknesses even if the target was moving with speed enhancing skills. It remains unknown what the release incantation of Kōmei's shikai is, since he never uttered it. * Bankai: Although it has also never been seen, it was revealed by the creator that it is called Stone Sentinel (石哨兵; Shi Shaobing). :* Bankai special ability: When bankai is activated, a roofed labyrinth composed of enhanced stone of the same qualities as ''sekkiseki'' surround Kōmei and everyone around him. While the bankai's ability is in effect, no one could enter or exit the maze without Kōmei's permission, or without defeating him in battle. Kōmei usually designs the maze so that he would be separated from his opponent, allowing him to recuperate and attack without being seen. The stone that compose the maze is indestructible, forcing those within it to navigate through the maze while being harried by Kōmei's Seijin powers. Kōmei could also escape by phasing himself through the walls of the maze, and could allow others to do the same if he chooses. He could also change the layout of the maze to confuse his opponent, though the size of the overall maze never grows or shrinks. Appearances * The Return of Datara Saga (first appearance) Behind the scenes Kōmei is the Japanese translation of the courtesy name of the famous Chinese Chancellor Zhuge Liang: Kongming. The character is strongly based off of Kongming, to the point of Kōmei's zanpakutō spirit being that of Kongming's appearance in the video game ''Dynasty Warriors 4''. Xinxuan is the Chinese reading of the name Shingen, originating from the daimyō Takeda Shingen. Shingen's battle standard was the Fūrinkazan, which was a reference to Sun Tzu's ''The Art of War''.Fūrinkazan on Wikipedia. The Stone Sentinel Maze was an actual location near Chengdu, China that was used by militarists throughout the ages, and was most famously employed by Zhuge Liang to trap Wu forces led by the chief strategist Lu Xun. Notes and references Category:Articles by LaviBookman Category:Shinigami Category:Male Category:Seijin